Chapter 12
1703 Words
Eva
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The deadbolt rattled and moved slowly as if an unseen hand was opening it, and a wave of goosebumps rolled over my skin, dread settling in the pit of my stomach. In a few seconds, it was free, and the door opened quietly. Niamh had already grabbed the backpack.
The lobby was dark, and I could only see a silhouette, but I didn’t need light to know who it was. I recognized that lanky form, the creepy teen from reception. Did he have a spare key? How did he open the deadbolt?
Niamh acted quickly, moving to the darkest corner as he entered the room silently, heading towards the bed. She circled around toward the door and waited there.
He reached the bed and realized that it was empty just as Niamh hit the light switch. He whipped around and looked at us, and it took a split second for our eyes to adjust to the light. I almost wished it hadn’t.
The boy screeched, his eyes black pits of nothing and his mouth unnaturally wide, giving way to rows of razor-sharp teeth. The sounds coming from him tore at my eardrums.
Niamh turned and bolted as fast as she could.
“What the hell is he?” I asked Niamh. “He seemed human earlier.”
“I don’t know,” she replied vaguely, focused on getting us the hell out of there. “If I had to guess, I’d say he is a changeling.”
A changeling? Like an evil fairy that had replaced a genuine human? Why hadn’t I suspected anything? Or was he replaced after I’d met him?
The creature followed, his shrieks giving me chills and hurting my ears.
“Faster, Niamh, he’s close,” I said, panic rising in my chest. I found it hard to breathe; what would it do to us if it caught us?
“I’m going as fast as I can,” she said as we made it to the front of the motel and left the building. “You need to calm down; I can’t breathe when you’re panicking. You’re slowing us down.”
I tried to focus on running and not the consequences of being caught. We ran into the dark, quiet street, but we didn’t really have anywhere to go. Niamh automatically ran the way we had driven in, and I noticed a light in the candle shop we’d passed on the way.
“The candle shop,” I said. “Quickly, let’s try it.”
The shrill sound came again, much closer this time. It sounded like it was right behind us. Niamh turned and looked behind us; he was just a few paces away.
My chest felt heavy; was that it? After everything, would I die in a cold, dark, unfamiliar street far from everything I’d known?
Niamh pushed hard and headed for the door of the candle shop. As we approached, it flung open, and a young man stood in the doorway.
“Hurry inside,” he shouted as our legs pumped harder. We were almost there.
A sharp pain raked across my arm as another shriek rang out and Niamh faltered, nearly falling. We were just a few seconds away. She reached out with the other arm, and the young man stretched out a hand, grabbed my hand, and yanked us into the shop, slamming the door behind us.
The creature banged into the door and bayed like a wild animal; the sound of claws scraping and his body slamming into it rang across the room.
The young man’s eyes glowed, and he whispered a few foreign words gesturing at the door. The door glowed with white light briefly, and the creature screamed in pain. It kept trying despite the obvious pain for a minute. It must have realized that it couldn’t get in because the commotion suddenly stopped, the sound replaced by an eerie silence.
Niamh gave me control and moved to the back of my mind; I slumped against the wall. My body was tired, having gone through the unimaginable and not having had enough rest to recuperate.
“Thank you,” I said to the man, exhaling loudly and finally looking at him.
I gasped; his eyes were completely white. Other than that, he looked normal, with a tanned complexion, sandy blonde hair, and a square jaw. He had a lean athletic build; were it not for his eyes, I would have thought him a surfer.
He smiled, revealing perfect, evenly spaced white teeth. Gods, he could be a model despite his weird eyes. What the hell was a guy like him doing in a candle shop?
“It’s my pleasure. I have been waiting for you,” he said cryptically.
I frowned; he was waiting for me? What the hell?
“What do you mean?” I asked suspiciously.
What did he know about me? He was a complete stranger. I really needed to know what the hell was going on.
“It was foretold. And I am to help you fulfill your destiny,” he said.
A rush of irrational anger overtook me. My destiny? I ran away to make my own destiny.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I shouted, heat rising to my face, my fists balling.
His eyes widened, and he took a small step back.
“Please calm down,” he said, holding his hands up and looking down at my hands. They were flickering, disappearing. “I mean no harm.”
I gasped. It was happening again. I slowed my breathing. It wasn’t his fault; in fact, he’d saved me. I was being unreasonable. I was just at the end of my rope.
Why were these things happening to me? Maybe it would have been better if I had just stayed with Brin.
No. As hard as it was, it was better than the soul-crushing life I would have had back home.
“Please, have a seat,” the man pointed to a sofa in the middle of the room.
For the first time, I looked around at the store. Despite the dark of night, it seemed light and airy. A couple of trays of candles were positioned on white wood counters, casting a soft glow across the room. The floors were white wood, too, a few fluffy white rugs scattered around. The shelves held candles in various colors, shapes, and sizes. One shelf had crystal stones and another books. A stand on the counter held crystal pendants on delicate chains.
“I… I’m sorry,” I said as I made my way to the couch and sat down heavily, dropping my backpack at my feet. “It’s just been…”
“It’s okay,” he said, cutting me off. “Would you like some tea? Relax and make yourself comfortable; then we can talk.”
Tea sounded heavenly, and I was reminded that I hadn’t had much to eat since this crazy nightmare started.
“Yes, please,” I said quietly.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, flashing me that incredible smile. He went through a door at the back of the room.
I sank into the sofa; it was soft and comfortable as if it was willing me to relax, to sleep.
“Niamh,” I called in my mind. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, just tired,” she replied.
“That’s good. Thank you for saving us back there.”
“No need to thank me; we are a team.”
“Do you know what’s going on? Why are these things after us?”
“We are special; I told you before. I don’t know the details, but I’m sure we will find out soon.”
I sighed. I wished we knew more.
“This guy, do you think he is trustworthy?” I asked.
“He seems fine,” she replied. “I can’t sense what he is, but he doesn’t feel bad.”
I relaxed a little and rested my head on the back of the couch, closing my eyes.
“Here you go,” the man’s voice roused me.
He set a tray on the little table next to the sofa. The delicate scent of earl grey tea floated into the air. He poured a cup and handed it to me, gesturing to the sugar and milk on the tray. I added a little of both and sipped at the hot liquid.
He sat in the chair facing me and smiled again.
“My name is Oran,” he said. “It’s good to finally meet you.”
I looked at him carefully, deciding whether to trust him or not. He had saved me. I guess I owed him my name, at least.
“Aoife or Eva might just be easier,” I said. “Thank you for helping me.”
“No need to thank me, Aoife,” he said, choosing to use my real name.
I took a deep breath.
“Could you please tell me what’s going on? What was that thing, and why was it chasing me? What did you mean you were waiting for me? What… what are you?”
Oran smiled again.
“That’s a lot of questions, but not to worry; I’ll answer them all. First, let me have a look at your arm,” he said and came over with a little first aid box I hadn’t noticed before.
I’d forgotten about my arm. Now that he’d mentioned it, it started throbbing. My jacket was torn and sticky with blood.
He helped me take my arm from the sleeve and gently wiped it down. The damned creature had left a deep gash, but my wolf had already started the healing process.
“That creature was a changeling,” Oran started. “It was, more than likely, sent after you. I’m sure it wasn’t the first creature that came after you, right?”
My eyes widened, and my heart beat faster.
“How did you know that?” I asked, cringing as he disinfected the cut.
“Because,” he said, “you’re a Scion, the second Scion to be precise.”
- Writer
